Paying For It
by darthelwig
Summary: Sanzo has a little problem and needs some alone time, but it's hard to come by.


"Paying For It"

By darthelwig

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Rated M for sexual situations and language.

I do not own Saiyuki and, unfortunately, am not making any money off of this story.

Sanzo has a problem and needs some alone time, but it's hard to come by.

Special thanks to GhostHelwig for beta-ing my Saiyuki fics. Without her support, I would have LOTS more typos! lol

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If asked, he would have said he was in a _really_ bad mood.

What he _wouldn't_ have said- to _anyone_- was the reason _behind_ the horribly sour mood that hovered over him like a cloud.

After all, it was _no one's_ business if he had a problem of this nature. And he sure as _hell_ wouldn't trust either of _those_ three not to use the information against him in some nefarious way.

So he adjusted his robes to better conceal the embarrassing tent that had erected itself in his lap and cursed fate for making him a priest who still possessed a hot-blooded, passionate nature.

He wasn't normally so… shy… about his body, but the very thought of the ammunition this would place in the hands of his trio of companions was enough to piss him off royally. He would rather die than expose himself, as it were, to that kind of harassment.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to sit through the chaos that had become their evening meal. At least the idiots traveling with him had apparently decided it was too risky to try pissing him off in his current state of mental instability. Even Goku had recognized Sanzo's ill mood and the danger that represented to his continuing good health and wisely left the priest alone.

It was the only thing that kept him from blowing the brains out of all three of them.

What he really needed, he decided, was a chance to escape and find some nice, quiet, _isolated _place where he could take care of the problem. It was something he'd done before many times, not without a certain amount of disgust for the entire process, but being stuck with these three nosy idiots made taking the situation _in hand_ a bit of a challenge, even for him. There were only so many excuses one could use for making yourself scarce when you were talking to people who knew you so well, and while most of them would fool Goku easily, Hakkai and Gojyo were another story. They would _definitely_ know something was up, and he didn't want them figuring out just _what _that something was.

But his crossed legs and loose robes were only enough to hide his somewhat less-than-little problem while he was seated. Soon the meal would be over and he would be forced to face the dilemma of getting safely upstairs without revealing more of himself than he was completely comfortable with. He could see no way around their normal retreat upstairs without appearing suspicious, so he decided that he would have to find a solution before that subject even came up, especially since his _problem_ showed no signs of going away on its own anytime soon.

He looked around surreptitiously, searching for an exit close at hand and not finding one. Well, that eliminated the possibility of quietly slipping away while the damn idiots were arguing. Not that he thought that plan would have worked anyway. Hakkai had the most annoying habit of noticing _everything_. He wouldn't have gotten away for very long, certainly not long enough find a suitable place and take care of his situation before they located him again. And then there would be all the aggravating _questions_….

He suppressed the frustrated growl that threatened to erupt from between his tightly clenched teeth with a will of steel. Only a tiny vein throbbing in his temple betrayed his growing irritation.

So that plan was out of the question. What next?

His eyes roamed over the room, taking in everything around him with a calculated, practiced precision. His mind sorted through possible scenarios, discarding the wilder ones almost immediately. He didn't need anything _too_ extreme. Chances were that things would get out of hand and his plot would be ruined anyway. No, the simplest ideas were always the best.

His mind struck upon something and his eyes narrowed in contemplation. It was wicked, but not _totally_ uncalled for and _should_ take care of this problem quite nicely. He would have grinned had his face been able to form such an expression with his teeth clenched so rigidly. As it was, it turned out more like a grimace of pain.

He pulled his gun and fired at a hulk of a man who sat across the room, shattering the bottle of beer that was clenched in his meaty fist.

And everything stopped. People froze in their seats, not daring to move. All conversation had been brought to a complete halt. Even Goku and Gojyo had stopped their arguing to stare at Sanzo in blank incomprehension, so when Sanzo spoke his voice was clearly audible throughout the entire room, even as low and hoarse as it was.

"Don't _ever_ do that again," he said, staring at the man with cold murder in his eyes. The brute looked confused, but belligerent and he responded _exactly_ as Sanzo had intended him to. He rose to his feet with a mighty roar and immediately approached the priest, fists at the ready. His friends came up behind him, each one looking murderous. This was working out perfectly, and Sanzo was tempted to smile once again, but he kept his face blank as the group of big, burly meatheads made their way across the room. He remained seated, and his apparent non-response to the big man's threat enraged him even further. People were starting to crowd away from the imminent fight, trying to reach safety before blows were exchanged.

"All _right_!" Goku said behind him. "A fight!" And without Sanzo even urging him on, he jumped at the group of thugs, fists flashing as he tore a swath right through them. Gojyo wasn't one to be left out of the fun and quickly made short work of the goon in the lead, whose shirt was splattered with the remnants of his drink. Hakkai stood as well, moving unconsciously towards Gojyo, ready to back him up if he needed it. Not one of them looked Sanzo's way and he was forgotten in the general uproar around them.

This was his chance, and he took it quickly, not looking back as he slipped out of the room through the kitchen door. No one stopped him or even cast him a glance as he made his way out the back door. They were all entranced by the fight that was going on and which was now in full swing. Even the innkeeper just stood there, wide eyes fixed on the combatants, too stunned by the amount of damage that was occurring to his establishment to do anything.

Sanzo smirked as he realized he _was_ going to get away with it, after all.

He emerged into the darkened alley behind the inn and immediately made his way to safety. It didn't take long for him to locate a suitable place behind an abandoned building. It was dark enough to conceal his clandestine activities well, and he sighed in relief. He didn't waste any time, knowing that every second counted when one was dealing with a situation this… delicate.

He braced himself on the building with one hand while his other slipped deep into his robes. It took a little maneuvering, but he finally managed to bring his _problem_ out into the open.

And a short eternity later, he straightened his robes again and made his way swiftly back the way he had come. He was amazed to realize that he could still hear the sounds of fighting coming from the inn and someone trying to yell over the din.

He entered through the back door and cautiously advanced on the room he had just escaped. The innkeeper was yelling at the participants now, screaming, actually, about the damages his business had just incurred. And he was being summarily ignored. Goku and Gojyo were having a lot of fun beating on their opponents, and Hakkai was trying to calm the innkeeper down with little success. The little man was clutching his chest as if he were in pain and looking around himself with stunned incredulity.

Sanzo, now completely relaxed, leaned against the doorframe and folded his arms in front of him. He was a little amazed that no one had even noticed he was missing, but he was more than willing to accept that bit of luck with open arms. It saved him the trouble of having to shoot them for their annoying and _uncomfortable _questions.

He let them continue for a moment longer, and then decided enough was enough. He wanted it ended _now_. The priest was getting tired and the idiots showed no signs of stopping.

"Cut it out," he said, his voice cutting through the noise like a hot knife through butter. Goku looked at him, obviously wanting more, but the hard look in Sanzo's eyes kept him from whining about it. He wasn't _that_ stupid. Gojyo obviously had less of an instinct for self-preservation.

"_We're_ just cleaning up _your_ mess, you damn violent monk! _You_ started this whole thing!"

Sanzo pulled out his gun and fired at a point _almost_ a finger span from Gojyo's left ear. The crimson-haired womanizer instantly regretted his choice of words, but didn't back down. He glared right back at the high priest, daring him to fire again, but he did release his victim from his chokehold. The suddenly unsupported goon fell to the floor in a limp heap, twitching slightly.

"Jerk-off," Gojyo said, but his voice was once again its usual smooth, effortless, silky tone. Sanzo's eyes snapped up, narrowing suddenly, but Gojyo was already turning away to nudge the man at his feet with one boot. He appeared amused by his own handiwork and Sanzo chose not to respond. Gojyo didn't know anything. He was just being his usual, insulting, arrogant self.

"Well, that was certainly entertaining," Hakkai said in his typically mild manner. He seemed pleased that everything was finally calming down again, and his normal smile was laced with relief.

The innkeeper was less than pleased, and he turned to point one short, pudgy finger at Sanzo's chest.

"_You!_ This is _your_ fault! You _started_ this whole mess!" The little man was shaking with rage, and Sanzo held up one hand in acquiescence. His credit card appeared like magic from between his fingers.

"Put it on my charge card," he said, allowing a slow, satisfied smile to spread over his face.

After all, it had been _well_ worth the cost.


End file.
